Sometimes when a restaurant gets great press, I foolishly start to make assumptions: it must be expensive, it must be hard to get into, or it must be a “special occasion” restaurant. Or I think it can’t be as good as they say it is and I put off visiting because I think I’ll be disappointed. That’s what I did with Frazier’s, even though I love Porter’s and Vivace, the other two restaurants owned by Kevin and Stacey Jennings. I needn’t have worried about any of the above.

Not only does Frazier’s live up to the reviews, it’s one of the best values in the area. So much so that it’s earned a spot in the Dining Under $20 category, though you could certainly stretch out and open your wallet wider if you cared to.

Frazier’s menu is purposely designed to be flexible. A number of menu items are available in both appetizer and entrée-sized portions, making it easy to custom design your own meal. But check it out; all the entrees are between $14 and $20, even high end items like foie gras and duck breast, and portion sizes are significant.

For the twenty bucks you would spend on a large pizza and liter of soda, you could feast on a Pan Roasted French Pork Chop with sweet potato & gorgonzola risotto, grilled fresh bacon, braised cabbage and cider reduction. Seared Scallops with Potato Leek Chowder, Bacon, Truffle Oil and Oyster Crackers is available in appetizer portions; pair it with the seasonal salad with bibb lettuce, NC country ham, apples, goat cheese deviled egg, spiced pecans and sherry vinaigrette and you have yourself a meal to remember.

Written by: Susan Ely